Supervisors being asked to reshuffle parks priorities

The Carson City Board of Supervisors will decide Thursday whether to use money set aside for a recreation center on other parks projects.

If approved by the board, nearly $1.2 million would be redirected to two other long-anticipated projects: The Carson City Fairgrounds and Ronald D. Wilson Park. The fairgrounds would receive $1 million and the park would get $180,000.

"Getting money for the fairgrounds is an urgent need and we have a financial commitment with our private partner," said Roger Moellendorf, the city's parks director. "And Ronald D. Wilson Memorial Park has been languishing for about a dozen years."

The money will come from the amount of Question 18 funding currently earmarked for a new recreation center. This session state legislators didn't approve money that would have allowed the city and Western Nevada College to build a larger joint-use center on the college campus. The state funding would have comprised the college's financial share.

While the city decides what to do in place of a city-WNC partnership, "we have to get these other things done," Moellendorf said.

Other Question 18 projects have at least part of their required funding for various improvements, such as the Aquatic Facility, JohnD Winters Centennial Park, and other parks and trails.

The city has culled more than $7 million for a new recreation center from this source, which collects a quarter-cent sales tax for parks and open space approved by voters in 1996 to finance a community gym, which expanded into a recreation center.

Q-18 also is a source that refreshes itself annually, and the fund for a recreation center should be fully replenished in a few years.

An estimated $2.6 million comes from this source to pay for about $1 million each in parks and recreation capital improvements and open space. The remainder is for facilities maintenance.

The department could also create another bond to finance the recreation center, once it's determine what will comprise a new project to expand the city's current gymnasium and recreation capacity, Moellendorf said.

The fairgrounds improvements are expected to be complete by the winter; the new park on Mark Way should be finished next spring.

• Contact reporter Terri Harber at tharber @nevadaappeal.com or 882-2111, ext. 215.

If You Go

WHAT: Carson City Board of Supervisors meeting

When: 8:30 a.m. Thursday

WHERE: Sierra Room, Carson City Community Center, 851 E. William St.